Ignition system for internal-combustion engines.



W. C. BRINTON, JR. IGNITION sYsIEIvI FoII INIEIINAL coNIBusIIoN ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR i0. 19H- Patented Jan. 7., 1919.

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w. C. BRINTofN, 1R. lmrofv SYS'TEM Foa |NTERNA'L coMBusnoN ENGINES.4v

I APPLICATION FILED A'Pxlxp. 1911. 1,290,504.

Patented J ari. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n nrw/Mfg 5 State of Pennsylvania,

vaccompanving drawings,

plurality of sparks,

'UNITED sTATEs wiLLiAir o. BRINTON, Jn., or 'KENNEN PAENT oFFioii.

SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA, :nssiefnonmo nn'rioN or iENNsYnvANiA.

- specification f Letters raient.

IGNITION SYNSTEM INTERNAL-GOMBUSTION ENGINES.I

Patented can. muoio.

'i Application led April 10, 1917. Serial No. 160,994. l

1To au whom 'it may concern Be itkn'cwvnI that I, WILLIAM C. BRINTON, Jr., a citizen of the lUnited States, residing' at Kennett Square, county have-invented a newand useful Improvement in Ignition Systems 'for Internal-Combustion-`Engines, of which the following is fa full, clear and exact description, 'reference being had to the which form a 'part of this specification l The object ofmy invention is to provide, for internalV combustion engines `in which 4the charge 'in each cylinder is ignited by a an ignition system which .will insure the 'absolutely simultaneous production of sparks of equal intensity thereby insuring the most perfect ignition ofthe entire charging mixture. This object is aci complished successfully by means of the con-r struction set -forth and claimed in an application filed by me Novembery 7,1916, Serial No. 129,933, wherein, among other'features, twol separate distributers 'are employed.

VThe object of the .present invention, more speciiically stated, is toaccomplish the same result by so correlating thedistributers-that l.they constitute, in effect, a compound dis- .tributer which, if desired, can be confined 3oV within -a spacev` approximately no greater than that occupied by the ordinary distributer- `now in use. The' present invention, therefore, embodies the subject -matter of the. above-named application, but is an imof Chester, and

them and thence through' the Contact maker and interrupter a and condenser b to ground.

The two primary vcoils y, spectively the coils 2,12 of two second-ary circuits. In each secondary circuit is a distributer (as hereinafter described) lEach distributer is provided with sixterminals adapted for connection respectivelywith six "60 engine cylinders; each terminal being connected with one spark' plug only. 'The six terminals of the other distributer are also adapted for connection respectivelyto the same six engine cylinders'butto the other 'fi-5 spark plugs. InjlFig. 3 wrepresents one of the cylinders and u and o the spark plugs connected respective-.lv t0 the two distributors. I

ing the primary circuit, as a switch of zany convenient type may be employed. Nor is the invention limited to the employment of any particular means vfor interrupting the current in the primary be accomplished either and interrupter or by a vibrator, alternatively, as set above named. Inthe present disclosuregl by a contact maker orjby both.

have shown a contact maken of the type set 80 forth in the application' ofiBrown and Brin-- ton, Serial No. 38,225, filed July 6, 1915. The same comprises, in. general, a cam 0l on the shaft o (which carriesthedistributer and which is operated i the usual way), a sliding'contact cand a Ihave not shown the main switch for clos- 7 0 circuit, which may V'i' 5 forth in the'application` from the engine in 85 yielding' contact f.

The contact maker and 'interruptor is mounted within, and on the base of, the distributer .box g. The top of the box, near-"90, its circumference, carries six terminals h, andthe circumferential wall ofthe box carries six terminals i; the terminals "h being connected with the several spark plugs 'w and the terminals z' with'the several spark 95 plugs o. The top of the box, near '-itsceni ter, Acarries two terminals y' and-1c connected respectively with the two secondary i coils e, z.

Supported on the top of shaftjo, within -100 the distributervbox, is a head m, which, like the walls and top of the box, is iof insulating material. The top of this. head `carries an annular conducting or distributer plate .provement thereon.' f ,A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,in whichl Figure 1 is a 'vertical section throughthe distributer. y l

lFig. 2 is aplan view of the same with part of the cap cut away.

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the ignition system,

including the connections to a single cylinder.

A source ofcurrent supply which may be assumed to be a'storage battery, is grounded at one side while its'otherjside is connected'with thetwoprimary coils y, y, corresponding to the two spark plugs of each engine cylinder. The coils 1y, y are 4arranged in series,'the current passing through n with whichv the terminal y' has rubbing contact, `this being conveniently afforded by making the lower end of terminal 7' tubu- -lar and inserting therein a contact pin Z pressed downward by. a spring confined within the tube back of the pin.' The plate a, in its rotation, approximates successively the several terminals 7L, causing the second` l plate o secured against the inner wall of the top of. the distributer box. The plate 0 carries, or contacts with, a pin p extending along the axis of the shaft c and con.- tined within a tube q of insulating material secured to the head m. Both the tube g and pin p extend partlythrough the head m.v The lower end of the pin p' extends through a distributer plate r and contacts with the free end of a leaf spring s secured to the under -fafce of the plate r. The head m is cut away radially to accommodate the plate 1, which is secured to the yhead and which, in its rotation, approximates successively the several terminals z' and causes the secondary circuit to be closed 'through the several spark plugs-e.

With a two, four, eight or twelve cylinder engine, the number of terminals will, of

course, be changed to correspond.

Itis vobvious that the invention is not limited to any lparticular numbers of s ets of terminals, as the number will vary with the number of spark plugs in each cylinder. The simplest embodiment of the inventon, however, is of course one adapted to cylinders each containing only two spark plugs, and I have therefore selected this embodiment for illustration and descrip-` tion.

While I have described the inventionas comprising two distributers inclosed in a single box, it is clear that the two are not duplicates, but that the construction of each is modified yto adapt it to the other. '.Ihe

i. two distributers, therefore," from one point of view, may be regarded as constituting one compound distributer.

The sparks produced at the tw'o plugs of each cylinder will both be simultaneous and of maximum intensity.

Having nowfully'described my invention, what I desire to claim and protect by Letters Patent is z* y 1. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, in combination, an engine cylinder, a plurality of spark plugs therein, a primary electric circuit, means to interrupt the current in the distributer box, a shaft extending within terminals on the box connected with the respectivespark plugs, distributer plates within the box turning with the shaft secondary circuits,

primary circuit, a

and in operative relation one with one spark plug terminal and the other with the other.

tively' and their corresponding distributer` plates and spark plugs.V l 2. In an ignition system for internal oo m-l bustion engines, in combination, an engine rupt the current in the primarycircuit, a distributer box, av shaft extending within the box, terminals on the box connected with the respective spark plugs, distributer cylinder, a plurality of spark plugs therein, y a primary electric circuit, means to inter-Y plates within thebox turning with the shaft and inoperative relation one with one spark plug terminal and the other with the other spark 'plug terminal, said plates being lo-V cated inr parallel planes' spaced apart, 'otherj 'terminals on the box connected with the respective distributer plates, vand means actuatedby the interruption of the primary induce a flow of secondary curcncult to y rent simultaneously through the last named terminals respectively and their corresponding distributer plates andspark plugs.

3. In an ignition system for internal combustion `engines, cylinder, a plurality of spark plugs therein,A aprimary circuit, means `to interrupt said circuit, primary induction meansin said circuit, secondary circuits, number to the spark plugs, inoperative cortributer box, with 'the respective spark plugs, other terminals on the box connected with the respective the box, and distributer box `turning with the sha plate being in operative one terminal of a set and the other'distributer plate being in operative correlation with one distributer in combination, an engine corresponding in correlation with lrelation-with said induction means, a disterminals'on the box connected l l a shea extending within f plates within the 'f the other terminal of the same set, said disi tributer blades in their rotation adapted to simultaneouslyclose the respective secondary circuits through the respective spark plugs.

4. In an ignition system for internal coml bustion engines, in combination, an engine cylinder, a plurality of spark plugs therein,

a pm mary circuit, means to interrupt said p c1rcu1t, primary inductlon means in .'said'u circuit, secondary circuits, corresponding in number to the spark| plugs, in operative correlation with said induction means, terminals connected with the respective spark plugs, terminals connected with the |respective secondary circuits, a shaft, distributer plates .turning therewith, means to maintain Y electrical connection between the terminals cuit, secondary circuits, corresponding in number to the spark plugs, in operative correlation with said induction means, a distributer box, a shaft extending Within the box, terminals on the box connected with the respective secondary circuits and arranged relatively close to the axis of the shaft, terminals on the box connected With the respective spark plugs and 'arranged relatively far from the axis of the shaft, dis# 'tributar plates turning with the shaft, and

means maintaining electrical connection between each plate and its 'corresponding terminal of the first set, said distributer plates in their rotation simultaneously approximating. the respective terminals of the second set.

6. ln an ignition system for internal combustion engines, in combination, an engine cylinder, two spark plugs therein, two secondary circuits, a distributer box, a shaft extending within the box, a head on the shaft, two terminals on the box connected with 'the two secondary circuits respectively and cessively approximate vthe named terminals,'.and a spring pressed pin i connecting the other distributer plate and the other of the rst named terminals, said two plates, in their rotation with the shaft, approximating the two respective second named terminals.

7. In an ignition system for internal combustion engines, a compound distributer comprising a plurality of series of terminals, a shaft, a plurality of distributer plates rotating with the shaft, each adapted to sucterminals of one series only, a plurality of terminals corresponding in number to thel number of distributer plates, and means establishing electrical connection terminals and the distributor plates respec tively, whereby electric circuits may be closed simultaneously through the last named terminals andthe distributer plates and a corresponding 'number of the first named terminals of as many dierent series. ln testimony of which invention, l have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Penna., on this 6th day of April, 1917.

WlLLlAll/l C. BRNTON,

D Gopes of this patent may be obtained for cents nach, by addressing the Commissioner Ea/tents,

i tfashngton, G.

between the last named 

